POLICY ON ADJUNCT FACULTY
This policy is intended to provide a guide to the appointment, classification, and
evaluation of Adjunct faculty.
I.
II.
DEFINITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1.
"Adjunct" is any individual who is serving as a "Volunteer Employee"
(Classification Code 0050) for a specified period of time, whether full-time
or part-time. Visiting Professors may be appointed to this position.
Adjunct faculty are not members of the Unit 3 (Faculty) Bargaining Unit.
2.
Appointment as an Adjunct does not confer any rights to permanent
employment to any person. The length of service of an adjunct faculty
member, whether full-time or part-time, does not alter the temporary nature
of the appointment or confer additional rights upon him/her.
3.
The responsibilities of an adjunct faculty member are to be determined by
normal departmental procedures. These typically include one or more of
the following duties:
a.
classroom teaching or other professional responsibilities of faculty
such as performing responsibilities in the Library, the Division of
Student Affairs, or Athletics
b.
participation in departmental seminars and related instructional and
scholarly activities, including coordination or administration of special
programs and supervision of special programs, and supervision of
special student or faculty activities and projects
c.
attendance at departmental meetings in an advisory capacity but
not a member of the consultative body
d.
Other mutually agreed upon activities such as furthering research
and teaching programs of the department and/or school involved.
4.
The responsibilities of an adjunct faculty member shall be described in the
letter of appointment.
5.
An adjunct faculty member is responsible for adherence to and
implementation of university and trustee policy.
NOMINATION PROCEDURE
1.
2.
All nominations for appointment to a position of Adjunct to teach or offer any
academic service under the auspices of California State University, Fresno
shall be made only after a complete review of the qualifications of the
individual and upon the recommendation of the appropriate department or
unit.
Each applicant for appointment as an adjunct faculty member shall submit
an application package which consists of (a) a standard SC-1 form; (b) a
current vita and (c) three (3) letters of reference. Each applicant is given an
Applicant Flow Form which is to be returned directly to the Affirmative
Action Officer.
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3.
Receipt of all applications for adjunct positions shall be acknowledged by
the department.
4.
Review of applications for adjunct positions shall follow normal department
appointment policies.
5.
Prospective adjunct faculty members shall be approved on the basis of
their qualifications as university-level instructors. The department shall
review the complete application package for each applicant. When a
department determines the suitability of an applicant for an adjunct
position, the department shall also determine the specific responsibilities
the individual will be expected to perform.
6.
If a department recommends an individual for an adjunct appointment a
completed Part-Time Applicant Pool Form and nomination shall be sent to
Academic Personnel Services via the office of the school dean. A
completed SC-1 form must also be submitted.
7.
III.
School deans are responsible for securing and maintaining appropriate
references. Deans shall maintain academic resumes (and transcripts where
appropriate) to be forwarded upon request.
8.
A person shall be nominated to teach only those courses authorized by
the department committee and listed on the pool form.
9.
Access to application materials is limited to persons authorized access in
the conduct of University business. Individual applicants shall not have
access to these files.
10.
Applications for adjunct positions are to be treated with the strictest
confidentiality. All deliberations on applications shall be conducted in
executive session and remain confidential as provided by law. Violation
of this confidentiality is considered to be unprofessional conduct
and is grounds for disciplinary action.
APPOINTMENT
1.
All appointments shall be based solely on ability and fitness for the
position to be filled.
2.
The Provost or designee shall make all faculty appointments. No other
person is authorized to appoint faculty, nor to modify or revise the
provisions of any appointment or offer of appointment. No other person is
authorized to make statements, either oral or written, which may be
construed to be commitments to employment by the university.
3.
Once final authorization is given, the dean shall issue a written offer of
appointment and employment contract. The contract shall stipulate the
assignments of the adjunct faculty member.
4.
Appointments to the position of Adjunct may be full-time or part-time.
Appointments to the position of Adjunct Professor may be made for a
semester, parts of a year, or for one (1) or more years. The length of the
appointment shall be noted in the offer of employment.
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5.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
The official offer to an adjunct position shall also indicate that the
appointment automatically expires at the end of the period stated and does
not establish a right to subsequent appointments or any further
appointment rights. No other notice shall be provided.
QUALIFICATIONS
1.
The minimum academic qualifications for an adjunct appointment is normally
a master's degree from an accredited graduate program.
2.
In order to appoint a person with less than a master's degree, the
department
must have the approval of the Provost. Persons whose
experience or training is recognized by professional or occupational
standards as affording expertise directly related to specific instructional
areas may be appointed if it can be shown that such persons have the
best qualifications among available candidates, and that the instructional
areas are important to the university.
3.
Appointment to an adjunct faculty position should normally be at a rank
equivalent to that of a similarly qualified tenure track academic employee.
EVALUATION
1.
Each adjunct faculty member who teaches a class shall be evaluated on a
regular basis according to the schedule outlined in the Policy on the
Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness for temporary faculty. The results
of these evaluations shall be placed in the Open Personnel File of the
faculty member.
2.
Department chairs shall prepare a written assessment of the performance
of an adjunct faculty member at the end of each academic year. This
evaluation shall be placed in the Open Personnel File.
OPEN PERSONNEL FILE
1.
Each adjunct faculty member shall have one (1) Open Personnel File for
employment information and information that may be relevant to personnel
recommendations or actions regarding the faculty member.
2.
The Open Personnel File shall be maintained in the office of the school
dean.1
PRIVILEGES AND BENEFITS
1.
Adjunct Professors are covered under State Workers Compensation.
2.
Adjunct faculty members shall receive faculty privileges including the right
to purchase faculty parking decals and receive a faculty ID card, which
provides the following advantages:
a.
use of Library facilities and faculty borrowing privileges
b.
use of Instructional Media Services facilities and equipment
____________________________________________
1.
For additional information on personnel files, refer to the University Policy on Faculty Personnel
Files.
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VIII.
c.
use of state cars and/or travel expense allocations when approved
d.
use of laboratory and research facilities when applicable and
approved
e.
use of Student Union facilities
f.
the ability to purchase Associated Student Body card for access to
campus events.
DISTRIBUTION
A copy of this policy shall be provided to all adjunct faculty members at the time of their
initial appointment.
Approved by Academic Senate
Approved by President
May 9197
June 1997
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